Born in Canada to British parents, Derek was always fascinated by
mechanical things. He would spend hours dismantling and then attempting
to rebuild, usually failing, whatever bit of electronics or machinery
he could find. When he was twenty, he got the urge to ride. He acquired
his Learners’ Permit, but soon learned that bikes were an expensive
hobby. It was not until years later, when he started working with
Steve, that the biker instinct came back to him. After Steve bought
his 7R and started riding it to work, Derek decided that if he did
not buy a bike before be was thirty, he never would. The next spring,
he got his permit again and took a rider training course. The course
included a road test for a half-license, which he failed in spectacular
fashion when he crashed the bike during the test.

This failure was such a letdown that he thought his dream was dead.
One day, his flat mates were being exceedingly annoying, so he went
for a walk. He passed the local bike shop and decided to go in for
a look. Three steps in the door, he spotted two brand new CBR600F4I
– one red, one yellow. While Derek was giving these beauties a good
long look, a salesman walked up and asked if he could help with anything.
The response Derek gave was immediate and passionate. "I'll take
that one," he said, pointing to the yellow one. Three days later,
Derek rode the bike home, very slowly and carefully. He had never
ridden anything larger that a 50cc bike before, which he crashed.
Confidence was slowly gained and after a month, with every shift taken
at the redline, it died a horrible death on the highway. Uninjured
and cheque in hand from the insurance man, Derek went straight to
the bike and shop bought a new CBR.

Track riding came about as a result of a trip to England, where he
rented a GSXR for two weeks and enjoyed the numerous corners in the
roads. Upon his return home, Derek found that riding straight to the
next stop sign was just so incredibly boring. He almost sold his bike,
until Steve suggested they go to FAST riding school. The rest is history
and he is now a true track day junky. Any given weekend Derek is sure
to be bugging his cast mates to abandon their families and go to the
track.